To Pluck an Honest Rose
by periodic-prose
Summary: All Cagalli wanted to do was escape her engagement, yet running away's never been more difficult. Especially when there's someone tagging along...[AxC]
1. Out the Window of Opportunity

**For those that are sitting there, and going... "Another engagement story, this is so typical/unoriginal." Believe it or not, it's supposed to be. In my British literature class, we were studying comedies, and how structured they are. And even though they have to have similar ideas behind them, they can all turn out delightfully unique.**

**And so I present, my own attempt at a traditional comedy. This is one of those things, that I plan on continuing no matter how many reviews I get, simply because it's my own writing experiment: A challenge in making something original, out of a mold.**

**If it gets a little crazy, my apologies. I'm just... like that. In terms of setting, I'm thinking Victorian here, but this could end up completely historically inaccurate, so don't lean on that idea too much.**

**Author's note at the bottom addresses my two other stories, and how I plan to manage them all.**

**Now, onwards!**

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me..." Cagalli muttered in disbelief.

"No."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

The thought took a moment to register, before she grabbed the nearest irreplaceably expensive object and attempted to break it, quickly held back by a mob of servants.

"Priceless... Ming...Vase!"

"Please put it down Miss!"

"There's no way I'm going to-!"

And that's the last thing she remembered... before hitting her head on the side of a table during the struggle and passing out, only to wake up in her bedroom. Shooting up on her bed like an arrow, she bolted to the door. Locked.

Trapped.

Slowly backing away from the door, she frowned for a moment, before retreating to her bed and flumping back onto the mattress, pulling a pillow over her head and muffling swears into it.

* * *

Uzumi Athha stared at the grandfather clock's pendulum as it swung back and forth. It was an heirloom, probably the oldest in the house, and definitely old-fashioned.

Then again, maybe he was old-fashioned too. Not that he meant to be... Back then, perhaps he had just been a bit too worried to think clearly. Or he just wasn't thinking.

In any case, all that he could to was watch the minutes pass by, until they would be here. The people he hadn't seen in almost 15 years.

The family that was soon going to join his household. After all, it was their son that his daughter was supposed to marry.

-----------------

Cagalli punched her pillow for the n-th time, completely frustrated. How had she forgotten! No, she hadn't forgotten! Her father hadn't reminded her! Besides, this wasn't really the type of thing to spring on a girl!

The fact she was engaged? Oh yeah, definitely one not the most wonderful surprises. Unique, yes but wonderful? Hardly.

It probably measured as high up on the "wonderful scale" as getting wisdom teeth out, or shaving rabid lions with a rusty razor.

Because apparently, in just half an hour, she would be meeting the guy she had never known... But had been engaged to for... HOW LONG? A good 15 years! What a surprise to spring on a girl... Happy 21st birthday Cagalli! You're engaged! And they're coming to meet you, RIGHT NOW!

Shudder. Gag. Suicide...

Or escape.

She carefully examined her options. The door was locked... but there was still the window. Walking over to it, she peeked outside. No guards... Then again this was the second floor so it'd be a painful fall anyways... Unless she got something to break her fall or something.

The wheel in her brain started turning as she began to eye the purple drapes flanking the window...

* * *

The doorbell rang. Lord Uzumi took a deep breath, and motioned for a servant to answer it. Then, making an earnest effort to compose himself, he walked into the large foyer.

"Welcome, welcome! It's wonderful to see you all."

A rather tall woman nodded, then took a long glance of the house. "What a quaint house… I suppose she'll be coming to live with us then. Where is my daughter-to-be?"

Uzumi winced... hopefully not visibly. Cagalli was his daughter. Only his. And from that sentence alone, he could tell that the family hadn't changed, and that Cagalli was going to hate them.

"It's just the two of us, so the house is big enough. And my daughter is upstairs in her room, getting ready. Shall I send for her?"

The woman's husband shook his head. "I'll send someone." Nodding to the young blue-haired man beside him, he then began to follow Uzumi into the living room. Uzumi paused for a moment, studying the young man. He seemed familiar... reminded him of someone...

But it couldn't be.

Shaking the thought out of his head, he turned and continued walking forward.

* * *

The young blue-haired man walked calmly up the stairs, pausing occasionally to study a hanging painting, or ask a servant for directions to the young lady's room. To be honest, he wasn't terribly young. He was twenty-one, the same age as Lord Uzumi's daughter, if he remembered. Stopping in front of the door he was directed too, he took a deep breath and knocked.

"Hello? I've been sent to call you down."

"Wha-! You're here already! Just, go downstairs and wait! Don't come in!"

The young man frowned slightly, feeling sympathetic. She sounded rather hectic, and distressed. She must be frantic.

"I'm afraid I can't, Miss. I've been instructed to take you down directly."

"I don't care! I'll be there in a minute!" She insisted.

Sighing, he placed a hand on the doorknob, only to find it... unlocked? Well, from the outside at least. So this young lady had been locked in? Well then, she definitely couldn't come downstairs on her own.

He took a deep breath.

"I'm going to come in now. My apologies, but if I don't take you downstairs-"

Swinging the door open, he momentarily forgot the breath. Because it appeared that... the young woman was halfway out the window!

Dashing over, the door swung shut firmly behind him. Trying the knob he numbed with shock. Locked. He'd just locked HIMSELF in! Turning around, he made a bolt for the window, just in time to see her... JUMP OUT!

He grabbed the girl's hand, and started to pull her up. "Miss, I know that you must be very nervous, but I assure you that-"

"NERVOUS! I'm not nervous, I'm FURIOUS! I wouldn't go downstairs if my life depended on it!" She retorted angrily.

"I think right now it does!" He hastily pointed out, beginning to try to pull her up. "Taking your own life is not the answer!"

"Hey! What are you doing! I'm not trying to kill myself! I want to GO! Leave! Not get back up! Let me go!" She protested hotly.

"I definitely can't just let you fall out a window!" He explained, still trying to pull her up.

"LET GO! I made a rope with the drapes! I'll be fine!" She cried, leaning down with all her weight. She felt his grip slip a little and smiled.

The young man paled. His grip was slipping! He quickly clamped his other hand onto her wrist and pulled again. "Even if you won't die, I can't let you escape either!"

"Don't tell me you WANT to marry me! Just let me go and we can get this silly engagement business past both of us!" She insisted, frowning at how both his hands now had a firm hold of her right arm.

Suddenly, the sound of something ripping caught both their attention. Instinctively they both looked down to check their own clothing then looking back up, noticing the tear in the drapes, now makeshift rope. Their eyes widened simultaneously, and both began pulling as hard as possible in opposite directions.

"Let GO!"

"I CAN'T!"

"LET ME GO!"

"I WON'T!"

"Gravity IS on my side you know!" She cried, planting both feet against the brick wall and pushing against it for leverage, praying that no one was outside, and could see her.

"But I'm male! I'm supposed to be stronger!" He protested, pulling hard into the building.

"Wha- What kind of attitude is that! You chauvinistic jerk!" She cried, now trying to swat away his hands with her free arm.

Another tearing noise.

"The rope's about to snap! What part of 'LET GO' do you not understand!"

"What part of 'I CAN'T' do you not understand?"

Suddenly, a distant voice interrupted their argument.

"Cagalli! Why aren't you downstairs yet!"

Cold blood drained through their faces, and they exchanged a frantic look. Taking this opportunity, Cagalli pulled her arm with all her strength. He didn't budge an inch.

"Let go! You're going to break my arm off!" She snapped. He was momentarily fazed in shock, and almost let go. Using the slight -pardon the pun- window of opportunity, she swung herself downwards. The young man, still holding onto her arm, felt himself slip... OUT THE WINDOW!

"OH NO YOU DON'T!"

"OH YES I DO! If you won't let go, then YOU'RE COMING WITH ME!" She cried, finally taking his moment of unbalance to throw her body weight down and heave herself away from the wall, launching him out the window in the process.

He made a made grab for the rope, but it quickly tore under the tension of both their weights.

He closed his eyes and prayed.

"_Today had looked like it was going to be such a nice day too..."_

* * *

"Cagalli!" Uzumi called, rushing up the stairs. He knew it was a bad idea not to go get her himself. Flinging open the door, he faced...

An empty room?

"Cagalli!" He called aloud again. He began to search the usual places... closet... under the bed...

His in-laws-to-be entered the room. "Is everything all right?"

"He stood up, and suddenly felt a breeze hit his face. Eyes widening, he dashed to the window. "Oh no..."

Open window, shred of velvet on the windowsill, drapes missing...

"I... I think you may want to sit down for this."

* * *

Cagalli lay still amongst... whatever she had fallen into. Whatever it was, it was soft, but itchy.

"Hay?... We fell into our hay wagon?"

She looked beside her to find the young man rubbing the top of his head, which probably hit something on the way down. "Hay?" She echoed.

"Yeah... Well, our horses have to eat something." He shrugged. "Now stop being silly. Let's go back into the house."

He was silenced with a sharp "Sshhh!", then felt himself get shoved back into the hay.

"What do you think-?" He hissed quietly. Under the hay, he could barely make out her desperate expression. Admits the tiny crack of light that weaved their way through the hay, and cast a dizzy light on her face, he could read her countenance. It was pleading with him to cooperate. Other then that, he couldn't make out the rest of her figure under the hay. It wasn't just her hair... it was her eyes. The golden hay was just... natural camouflage for her.

Unlike him with midnight blue hair, and startling emerald eyes, and a black suit. He probably stuck out like giraffe in a flock of sheep.

"Please be quiet! I hear my father upstairs!" She begged.

He paled. Lord Uzumi! And that meant that... THEY were there too! They'd kill him if they knew he'd let the young Miss jump out a window. Quickly squirming to hide himself a bit better, he failed to see her confused expression at his reaction.

They lay there covered in hay for quite a while. Time passed and neither of them knew how much. Both were too nervous... too anxious to check.

It's a funny thing that happens, when monotony kicks in. Either you feel terribly bored, and the time passes really slowly. But then you body kind of gets used to it... and... especially if you're hiding, suddenly time seems to go by, kind of quickly.

"Hey... you okay there?" He whispered for assurance. A slight nod was her response. "When do you think it would be safe too?..."

"Probably now..." She muttered... straightening up and brushing hay off her herself. Shaking her head, pieces of straw were flying everywhere. She watched the young man crawl out form under the hay too.

"By the way, if you couldn't tell from my father yelling, I'm Cagalli." She extended a hand and grinned.

The young man stared at it for a while, then at her. "I-I'm Athrun." Biting his lip, he slowly went to shake her hand, then paused.

Wait a minute... Why was it so dark out? And why was it so much colder?

...And why was the wagon moving?

And... where were they?

Apparently she had been asking herself the same questions, because the moment he turned to her, she turned to him.

And their mouths dropped.

Then it clicked.

The great escape plan... had worked!

A bit… TOO well.

* * *

**Ahh yes. Try to escape, and end up lost, with the person you were trying to run away from to begin with? What could be better for Cagalli?**

**So some people might be wondering, "Where on earth did you go for a month?" Well besides being a lazy pig, I've been thinking of ideas. And for the first time ever, I had more than one! I have... three. **

**Neighbors with a twist, a traditional comedy, and matchmaking (aka, something completely different). And so I thought for days, wondering which one to write.**

**Now I present for the first time ever, three stories at once. Updates will definitely not be as often as I used to be able to promise, but I'll make an honest effort to manage all three. In terms of which I'll update most, it'll probably be the one I end up liking most, have the best idea for, or the one that people seem most desperate to see updated (threats would be... noticed, but not ENCOURAGED, persay). Most likely, I'll just go by the number of reviews the fic gets. **

**Eagar to see feedback on this, and any of the other three I have up. **

**Periodic-Prose**


	2. Who are you?

**First of all, a quick note, to clarify some things that may have been misleading in the last chapter. **

**First of all, many people seem to be under the impression that Cagalli in engaged to Jona in this fic. I'm not really sure where you guys not this idea from, but I definitely didn't state that, nor did I intend for anyone to get that impression... Because put quite bluntly: She's not. **

**Secondly, is the issue of me saying that there was a Victorian setting. When I made that statement, I mean the physical world they are in, would resemble the Victorian era. This means, houses, wagons/carriages, roads, general surroundings etc. Thus, the dialogue can be expected to be fairly inaccurate for that time. Sorry but if I started writing dialogue that way, my writing just wouldn't have the same flow. **

**Finally, sorry if there appear to be a lot of typos in this. I was having some problems uploading, and so I think my document might have been uploaded in a weird manner. There may be a lack of spaces between words, or something to that extent.**

* * *

"So... where are we?" Cagalli grumbled, perched atop a large rock as Athrun peeked around.

"No clue." Was his quick response. "I'm pretty unfamiliar with this area."

Cagalli frowned again. How did this happen? She was supposed to run away FROM him, not WITH him. They had managed to dismount the wagon without being noticed, them immediately set to trying to figure out where they were. Asking the wagon driver would be out of the question, since he'd just turn right back and land them both in hot water.

But at this point... even they were starting to regret it.

"So now what do we do?" She asked, stretching her arms, getting up and walking towards him.

"Do you want to go back?" He looked up at her. She shook her head.

"Not yet... I'll give father some time to calm down before I reappear."

"Well then, we'd be best off making some sort of shelter to pass the night in. After all, I don't have any money on me, and I don't think you do either."

A shuffle.

"Do you?" He raised an eyebrow, then widened his eyes as she produced a handful of money from her pockets. "You had that with you all along!"

"Well I was planning on running away in the first place! I just didn't plan on getting lost, and certainly not with you!" She shot back angrily.

For a moment all that could be heard was the sound of crickets chirping loudly at random intervals.

"Sorry. I wasn't accusing you of... you know. Holding out or anything. Let's just... find somewhere to sleep. An inn or something."

A nod was her only answer.

* * *

Finding an inn had never seemed so difficult.

"You two are a bit young to be renting an room together, aren't you?" An elderly woman running was what presumed to be her inn frowned, eyeing them suspiciously. Athrun's eyes widened, horrified at the intimation laced into her words. Cagalli stuttered out a feeble, silly explanation before turning and bolting out the door. Athrun soon followed.

"Sorry, but I'm not a supporter of pre-marital-" The next innkeeper started. Athrun cut him off promptly.

"What if I told you we were married?"

Cagalli looked mortified. "We're what now!" Athrun silenced her with a sharp glare.

And innkeeper's eyes narrowed. "Where's her ring?"

"Couldn't afford one." Athrun shrugged, amazed both at his own calmness, and ability to lie so easily.

"I don't buy it." The stern man behind the desk answered promptly.

"We're as good as married!" Cagalli blurted out. "We're engaged!"

Athrun held back the urge to smack his hand to his forehead and hide.

"Well then I'm sure that you can wait until the ceremony." Another prompt response.

Angrily, Athrun marched over to Cagalli and ushered her to the far side of the room, until they were out of earshot.

"Can't you cry or something!" He whispered sharply.

"Cry? Why on earth would I do that?" The angry blonde eyes him incredulously.

"I... I don't know! Just cry! Maybe he'll take sympathy!"

"I can't just cry on demand like that!" She protested vehemently.

"Wha- you don't know how to cry on command? What kind of girl are you?"

Immediately he felt like he wanted to swallow his tongue and bury himself 10 feet underground.

"EXCUSE ME! No, I can't! And you want to know why!" Her eyes flashed dangerously.

"I think you're going to tell me anyways..."

"Firstly! because it's a perfectly ridiculous waste of energy and time to LEARN how to do that and secondly, it's embarrassing and stupid, and lastly, I'm no the type of woman who needs to rely on such feminine cheap tactics to get what I want! OBSERVE!"

She stormed to the front and glared at the man who still had his arms stubbornly folded across his chest.

"Look! I'm willing to pay money for a room, and you have them! So-"

"No! I don't!" he shouted back. "If you'd just let me in finish in the first place, I could have told you that we don't have any vacancies!"

* * *

Athrun and Cagalli now stood in the middle of a street, bickering over whose fault the last rejection was.

"If you had just gone along with my idea-!"

"They were full anyways!" The young man responded in an exasperated tone. Immediately he began digging in his pockets.

"Oh, don't tell me you really believed that hogwash, coughed-up excuse! And- What are you doing? What are you looking for?" Cagalli asked impatiently.

"This!" Athrun waved a silver ring in front of her face. It was decorated with 3 semi-circular silver bands, and a dark red jem with a purplish glint, nestled into it. The stone itself glittered in a way that refracted every ray of light that entered it, reflecting it on every side of the carefully cut jewel, before finally sending the glint outwards to the eye of whoever was gazing into it.

Cagalli eyes widened. "...What is that?"

"It was my mother's ring, that was given to me at birth. Strung onto a silver chain, I used to always wear it around my neck, but the chain unfortunately broke when we fell out of that window." He explained quickly, eyeing it sadly, yet fondly. The expression wore on a pair of amber eyes softened, as she mumbled a quiet apology.

Athrun shrugged it off, then coughed and tried to turn away a bit, before motioning towards her with it. Cagalli looked confused.

"What?"

"Wear it."

"WHAT!"

"We can't pose as a young married couple without a ring. So just wear it while we try to check in." He shrugged.

She slipped in onto her finger carefully, as if were she to apply the slightest amount of excess force, it would break. "It fits." She murmured.

Athrun looked a bit surprised. "Really?... It was custom made for my mother. I suppose you have the same fingers then."

Cagalli shrugged, then looked up at him and smiled, oddly content to hear that. "Guess so."

* * *

"One room, yes?"

The young "couple" froze, blinked, turned to each other, blinked again, then quickly retreated into a back corner and communicated in the form of hasty whispers.

"I do NOT want you sleeping with me!" Cagalli hissed.

"I'm perfectly aware of that and in case you can't tell, I'm not all that ecstatic about these arrangements either, but I'm also pretty sure that if we keep paying for two rooms instead of one, the money that you have on you will run out twice as fast!" Athrun argued hastily, afraid to turn to the innkeeper and see check the expression on his face.

"Well what about two beds? Can't we get two beds in one room?" The blonde lady suggested.

"That's too suspicious! Do you really think sleeping in _separate_ beds is the first thing a young, recently married couple would have in mind?" The young man insisted, thoroughly uncomfortable with the idea of renting a room with one bed, but completely letting the fear of getting discovered dominate over his personal preferences.

Cagalli frowned. "Geez, who asked you to come along anyways?" She mumbled under her breath. Athrun raised his eyebrows.

"Well if you'd prefer me to leave you in peace, that's fine too. Just be aware that the first place I'll be heading to is the Athha manor, since that's the only place I have to go." He shrugged, neatly placing his hands in his pockets.

He received a glare in response, then watched as she marched up, signed for a room, then snatched the keys out of the innkeeper's hand promptly and charged up the stairs.

The innkeeper glanced at Athrun and smiled sympathetically. "Quite a girl you've got there."

Athrun sighed and shrugged. "I... suppose."

* * *

"So what's the plan for tomorrow?"

Cagalli was lying a top HER bed, eyeing the yellowing ceiling with obvious distaste. Her eyes flickered towards the slumped figure that was staring out the window.

"I don't know." He sighed. "This was your idea anyways."

"Then why are you still with me?" A blond eyebrow arched in a very annoyed manner.

Another sigh. "Firstly, if I were to go back there, which is really the only other place I have to go, without you, they might have my head. Secondly, I can't just leave you alone by yourself. And finally, I don't really know where we are anyways, but I do know that I need somewhere to sleep, even if it is the musty floor of a dirty, ill-kept room."

Cagalli frowned. That sounded rehearsed... "You can leave me alone. I can manage myself."

Athrun eyed her mockingly. "Despite my doubts regarding that statement, I won't voice them. As for your earlier question, I thought I'd ask around in the morning and try to figure out where we are, and how we can get back."

"I thought we agreed we weren't going back." She questioned, swinging her legs over the bed and sitting upright on the mattress.

"Well we're going back eventually, so we may as well figure out how to do that when we decide to." He shrugged, turning to face the window again. The blonde female frowned at his matter-of-fact demeanor.

"You annoy me."

He eyebrows rose in surprise. "Pardon? If anything I'd think that would be my line."

"No no, you definitely annoy me. I just don't understand how you can say everything in a condescending manner."

Now he really looked surprised. "I say things in a condescending manner to you?..."

A firm nod. "If anything, I'm more happy than ever I ran away. I can't imagine myself ever marrying you!" She declared. his eyes were now the size of a dinner plate.

"...I think there's been a misunderstanding between us." He started. "You see, I-"

"You?..."

"I-"

"You what? I thought princes were supposed to be charming, but I suppose you're just the arrogant type!"

"I'm not a prince!"

...Silence had never been so loud.

"You what!"

"I'm not a prince!"

"Then who are you!"

"I... I am a-"

"Keep it down in there!" A loud voice boomed as they heard pounding at the door. "Have you any idea what time it is!"

Athrun bit his lip and looked away for a moment, before turning and almost running into a furious Cagalli.

"Who. Are. You?"

* * *

Uzumi had a splitting headache. Now that his soon to-be-in-laws were finally asleep, he could have some peace.

The entire manor had been in an uproar as soon as Cagalli's disappearance was discovered. He'd sent out half the staff to look for them, all to no avail. He also sent out some messengers, to contact friends and other blood relatives, in the hope that they could come and aid in the search.

Meanwhile, his daughter's fiancé's mother was screaming like a banshee about her nervous, and her husband kept mumbling something about how "preposterous!" this was, amongst several other streams of curses and half-phrases.

**_"Total lack of…" _**

_"Windows! But how could that happen!" _

**_"Just like a renegade! Completely unbelievable-" _**

_"Behavior! I feel faint! I-" _

**_"Preposterous!" _**

_"Nerves! I've never-" _

**_"Ridiculous! I've seen better searches for-" _**

_"Doctor! I need a-" _

**_"Good smack in the head! That's what that boy'll get when he-" _**

_-Insert the scream of his wife- _

"PLEASE! CALM! DOWN!" The voice of Uzumi thundered, in a desperate plea for peace. Never had he seen the entire house staff running around with earplugs before… Even during Cagalli's temper tantrums.

Yet surprisingly, despite having such… interesting parents, their son seemed to be very calm. He had been out all day, aiding in the search for his fiancé. Uzumi had only time to exchange brief words with the young man, but from what he could tell he was very polite, and well mannered. Genuinely concerned for the safety of Cagalli, and doing his best to retrieve her…

He sighed. Cagalli… Where was she, and how was she doing? Had she taken the news this badly? It really was his fault for springing it on her so quickly…

A knock on his study door… It if was a servant preparing to tell him that _woman_ was demanding a doctor again, he was fully prepared to knock her out himself. A maid entered cautiously, handing him a note.

_"Dear Uzumi, _

_We're terribly sorry to hear about your daughter. We will come at once to help you search for her. The Clyne family will be joining us as well, on account of recent matters. Expect to arrive shortly. _

_Signed, _

_The Yamato Family" _

Uzumi smiled. He knew they would be the first to respond. Though they were related, that was only very distantly, and several generations back. To each other they remained close friends. Their son had recently been married to the daughter of the Clyne family. They must have been having a visit, for the Clyne family to be coming as well. In fact their son was one of the few people that Cagalli got along quite well with.

He rose form his chair and prayed that they'd be here by morning. He couldn't imagine having to deal with those walking headaches by himself for another minute.

* * *

"I... I'm not a prince. Or nobility. At all."

"I know that much already! So who the heck _are_ you? Am I supposed to marry you or not?"

Athrun struggled with an answer... "No." He responded plainly. "No, you are not."

"Then who am I supposed to marry?"

"The son of my master."

Cagalli blinked. Master?... Then this guy was. "You're a servant?"

"... Yes. I was sent upstairs to bring you downstairs, then I saw you falling out a window and... You know the rest." He choked out. Admitting he was a servant had never been so hard. Glancing at her face, he noted her expression.

Shocked. Confused. Perhaps a bit hurt? He had never seen such expressive eyes.

"So then... Who am I supposed to marry?..." Her eyes now reflected overwhelming worry, and she slumped to the ground. "I thought... well I didn't want to marry you. But at least by the time we got back I would know the person I was supposed to marry a bit, even if I didn't like him. I mean, I didn't want to run off with you, with my fiancé, with whoever... But then just now I was thinking that maybe this was okay. I would at least know you, even if I didn't like you... But if you're not him, then... What the hell am I doing here? And... Who am I supposed to marry? Who is this guy?..."

Athrun slid to the floor with a sympathetic look in his eyes. Poor girl. He was about to open his mouth when she suddenly slumped forward in tears. He was knocked back in shock, with his left elbow supporting both their weight. His face flushed a brilliant rose. He felt something dampen his shirt, and he raised his hand tentatively.

_Completely out of his place. This was wrong... He shouldn't be doing this. He wasn't allowed to. She was engaged to the young master; HIS young master. He was a servant and she was a lady... _

But she was crying. And mumbling words of sadness into his shirt which was currently being used as a handkerchief. And scared...

Finally he lowered his hand onto her back and stroked it comfortingly, still looking away with embarrassment. "I'm sorry." He murmured softly "I'm so sorry..."

She had tried to speak but every time she opened her mouth she's start gasping for air. So then she'd close her mouth and it would feel like she was suffocating. And the only thing that kept her from drifting away into a thick sea of emotion was the solid presence around her, assuring her that she wouldn't drown.

Gently they remained in that position, until she had found the voice that had been caught in her throat.

"Why would father do this to me?" She mumbled, barely coherently.

He hesitated, "... I don't know."

"Is he just trying to get rid of me?"

"I'm sure that's not it." He answered.

"Then he thought that there'd never be anyone, who would ever fall in love with me. Right?"

"Of course not." He answered again.

"And you're not him?"

"No, I'm not."

"You're sure?" She doubled checked stubbornly, a frown beginning to crease her forehead.

"I'm positive." He responded, chucking slightly at her persistence.

"Then who... on earth am I supposed to be marrying?... Who is this guy?"

Athrun paused for a moment. "He's kind, and very gentle. And he's nervous about this as well... I'm not him but I could tell you about him, if you're willing to take my word for it." he offered. Cagalli looked up to face the deepest evergreen eyes she'd ever seen.

Suddenly realizing where she was and what she was doing, she jumped back quickly, almost knocking over a table behind her. "I- I'm so sorry." She stammered. "I just... I'm sorry. I must have put you in an very awkward position just now... I forgot myself."

Athrun stood up slowly, and shook his head. "It's okay. It's understandable."

"Well then... Please tell me about him." Cagalli urged, trying to wipe off lingering tears in her eyes frustratingly. How disgusting of her to have just started crying like that... Especially after she had made such a big deal about it earlier. She sat onto the bed and set her head on the pillow.

"...Well I know him fairly well. We're the same age, and I've always worked for his family, so we've kind of grown up together. And he almost never treats me like a servant..." He paused to see if she was listening.

She nodded as if to urge him on, her eyes closed as she was clearly nodding off. He smiled and took a breath.

"We get along. He just heard about it as well, and was very shocked. I believe there was another young lady he was beginning to like, but he's always been very obedient and attentive to his parent's wishes. And so of course he agreed, but really he couldn't be more nervous. And I'm sure he's feeling the same way you are-"

He stopped, noticing she had dozed off just before the beginning of the last sentence. Moving forward, he gently pulled a blanket over her, before making his way over to the far side of the room and settling onto it.

The young master and she would probably get along well together. And he felt relieved, that he would be happy, and that she would be happy. They could probably be happy together...

Yet inexplicably, a pang of some empty feeling shot through his heart uncomfortably. He winced a bit, before allowing his tired eyelids to fall over his eyes, like heavy drapes sweeping down to cover a window.

* * *

**Agh, my main concern with this chapter is that I feel like I made them connect much too quickly. The idea is that Cagalli's in a very emotional state right now, and so she's opening up much more easily, but if you think this is out of character, please tell me. I'm planning to make this pretty short, so I kind of am rushing it a bit. I hope that it's not too awkward though.**

**This was the first update in a few weeks, so I'm reallyhappy to have this done! Thank you to all who reviewed the first chapter: **

**yumi-chocoluver, Tetsuni, Garowyn, Lady Onuk, 3fi-pina3, Swt. Harmony, WhiteMoonTears, RoGuE-WhItE-DrAgOn, jackie-88-ac, existence92, wobblytooth, Cagalli Yula Atha, Cari-Akira, stuntsheep, IYGU, MiyuCagalli, moi, ANON, Mikako, Asucags, Zala's Assassin, reseaki, animeluver461, thousandbirds, The Angels' Princess, Princess Ashes, Maryam Khanoom, ZGMF X-19A Infinite Justice, KiraTatashi, gseedlover, Star-Moon-Angel, aNgEl-Of-LoVe-AnD-hAtE, animemistress419, ovp, Kintora, Kitty-Kat90013820, The Jackle, lamu, PINKSISA, Kazumi Kairi or Kairi-chan, kura52 **

**Please tell me what you think of this chapter. I'm looking forward to hearing from you and as many other people as possible as well. **

**And according to reviewing response: "Neighbors" will be the next to be updated. Hope you enjoy it.**

**Periodic-Prose **


	3. The Search Continues

**Agh, I could start with another long string of apologies for updating a few days late, but that's never any fun to read. **

**Chapter Three, here we go!**

* * *

Athrun woke up to the incredible light of day and a sore neck. So the floor wasn't such a great place to sleep... perhaps folding a jacket or some cloth to make some sort of pillow would be a better idea next time. Slowly pulling himself up and smiled. At least it looked like she was having a decent rest...

Cagalli lay sprawled across the bed, curled in a fetal position. From the crumpled mass of blanket, it didn't look like she was a calm sleeper, but currently, she looked pretty darn peaceful.

He sighed, and dusted himself off briefly. It would probably be a good idea to go out and buy some food, maybe ask some questions. It also might be nice to send a messenger to the Athha manor, just to let them know they were all right. Of course, Cagalli might have his head, and truthfully he wasn't sure if it seemed right to drag her back. She seemed much too vulnerable, unwilling, and above all, completely unready. Perhaps some time away WAS what she needed...

He stole another glance at the bed, wondering if he should simply leave. A large part of him was worried that if she were to wake up and find him missing, she may become worried or cause a scene. Thus he resolved to wait until she had woken up, before setting out.

...An hour or two later it appeared she had no intention of waking up. Growing somewhat impatient, Athrun warily approached the bed, at first calling her softly.

"Ms. Athha?"

No response.

He tried again, this time louder.

Nothing.

Extending a hesitant hand, he tried shaking her lightly.

A incoherent mumble.

He tried shaking her a bit more firmly.

This time she turned away from him and readjusted herself, presumably into a more comfortable position.

Increasingly amused, Athrun tried calling her and shaking her this time, to which she responded by...

Swinging her arm in his direction and almost smacking him in the face. Stumbling backwards, he hit a dresser and fell onto the ground with a rather clumsy thud.

Gradually, Cagalli seemed to rise from the bed and took a glance at him.

"Oh. Hi."

* * *

In truth she was somewhat surprised that he was there... She recalled him saying that he was probably going to go out and figure out where they were. She also wasn't much of a morning person, which meant anything from being tired and grumpy, to snappy and downright irritable.

Today, she was tired and somewhat snappy.

Currently, she was adding plenty of sugar to a nice cup of tea, and wondering what he was staring at. They were waiting for their breakfast to arrive, which was pretty simple on account of the low amount of money they had. He seemed to be somewhat troubled, and she wasn't quite sure what to do.

After all, he was a servant. It didn't really matter to her, since she had always been the type to cross social boundaries. But he was the servant of her supposed "fiancé". So then what was stopping him from wandering back? He said it was because he was afraid of punishment, but if he kept running with her forever, then he'd end up in much bigger trouble.

Besides, it wasn't like she was planning on never going back. She was going to eventually, and he would have to go with her. Wouldn't that land him in hot water anyways?

Suddenly, his voice broke into her thoughts.

"When do you plan to go back?"

She blinked. to be honest, Cagalli hadn't set a timetable for this. She figured she'd go back when she felt like...

"When I feel like it" She shrugged.

"What if you never feel like it?" Athrun asked, raising a puzzled eyebrow. he was much to used to a planned schedule.

" suppIose I'll run out of money at some point, and then I'll have to go back." She responded after a quick moment of thought. Athrun silently digested her words.

"I don't know how much money you have on you, but I don't think it will last very long. No more than a week, at most is my best guess..." He mumbled to himself. Cagalli bit her lip.

"Well... again I didn't really plan on having you with me."

"Do you not want me here?"

At this moment some toast and various jams were presented to them, and they began to eat heartily, both feeling rather hungry after almost a day without food.

"It's not that I don't' want you here. I just question why you would choose to stay. Seems to me like you'll end up in trouble either way..." She replied, covering her mouth so she could speak while chewing.

Athrun took a drink of water to swallow the toast in his mouth before replying. "I will, and so it's not an issue for me."

"Then what is?"

He paused, visibly uncomfortable... "How much do you want to get married?"

"Not at all. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"I see... So even if I left and went back you would continue hiding form your father on your own. And you would probably run off somewhere else too... So that if I did tell them you were here by the time they got here you would be gone."

A nod.

"Well then... Like you said I'll get in trouble anyways. But I'd rather make sure you stay safe while you're out here, and get into a little more trouble, than run off now, leave you here in possible danger, and be off the hook a little sooner." He stated matter of factly.

Cagalli frowned. "I don't need you to babysit me."

"I know, but I wouldn't feel right if I didn't follow my conscience... Besides I think some time to get used to the idea of marriage would do both you and the young master well..." Athrun added.

"So then it's settled?"

"It seems clear enough in my mind. I'll follow you wherever you want to go, for as long as you keep hiding. however, you have to go back as soon as you run out of money."

"It's a deal. And if I pay for you expenses as well... I know you won't run off, but you can't send messengers to tell them where we are either."

Athrun fell silent. "I won't disclose our location, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable breaking off all communication. If you don't mind, I think we should send a quick message to let them know that you're alright, and you just need to take a breather."

Cagalli weighed the thought... "As long as they can't find out where we are from it..."

A deep chuckle. " I don't see how that's possible as we barely know where we are ourselves."

She consented, and he smiled.

"Well then... It's decided. We won't go back yet."

* * *

Uzumi absently flipped through the pages of a book, not really reading through it. Last night had not been a good night, as he had spent most of the night awake in wait of news of Cagalli, all to no avail. His son-in-law-to-be had also searched into extended hours of the night, but finally grew tired as well and had to retire for. As for his parents, the lady had demanded sleep fairly early on. Of course the sleeping quarters arranged were in inferior condition, and she demanded that she be allowed permission to search the entire house until she found something suitable.

Her husband was less picky, but just as infuriating, and he was trying to track down Uzumi for most the morning. Apparently he was frustrated that Uzumi had been too busy trying to lead the search for his own daughter, and thought it was of much more importance to go over deeds and property arrangements after the marriage was settled, then to find the bride-to-be at all.

His only solaces at this point were the facts that their son was reasonable that others would be here soon. Hopefully they could aid in the search and would be a pleasant distraction.

A knock at the door was his warning. Perhaps it was news of Cagalli. More than likely it was another horrific demand along the lines of lunch being served on solid golden plates by the queen of Sheba.

Instead a pleasant voice behind the door asked for permission to enter. Standing up and brushing himself off lightly he approached the door and opened it, welcoming in his daughter's fiancé.

"Pardon for interrupting. I just finished eating and though this might be a good time to have a chat... After all I am engaged to your only child." he added the last sentence with a bit of a laugh. "Sorry sir. I don't mean to come off as rude, but it's still a bit of a strange concept to me. I thought I was still... How to put it?... Too young?

Uzumi smiled. "From my perspective you should still be wearing diapers, but to tell the truth I'm a bit relieved at who you are. As a person, you're... quite the unexpected surprise. I was expecting someone possessing both qualities of his parents."

The young man gave an apologetic look at the door before sighing. "What can I say? They're my parents. Perhaps it's because I grew up with Athrun... Even though he's my servant, growing up around him probably affected me."

"Athrun?" Uzumi repeated the name... "The one that's currently with my daughter?"

Another laugh from both sides. "Yes, he's the one. And I assure you that as long as he's with her, she's safe. He's a very good person. As for how this happened at all, I can safely say that I have no idea."

"Oh, I do... My daughter did not take to the idea of engagement lightly." The tired father explained. "My apologies. It has nothing to do with you, as she hadn't even known you when she decided to do... this. But just the idea in general..."

"Understandable." An nod. "Well, I best be going now... I'll be heading west today. I believe there are several small towns there. It seems like a good lead, but it'll just take a while to search all of them." And with a polite goodbye, he left the room.

Uzumi smiled and seated himself again. Well... He seemed like a nice boy, and the Yamato's would be here soon, as well as the Clyne's. And it looked like the search for Cagalli was going in a good direction. Perhaps things wouldn't be so bad after all.

But one thing bothered him... That boy. Athrun was apparently his name... Servant though he was, he possessed and air of familiarity. This hair, eyes, and stature reminding him of something achingly nostalgic. But the first thing he thought of was impossible, so pushing the idea aside, Uzumi bookmarked the page in his book and left the room.

A framed portrait opposite the door, hung innocently on the wall. Flanked by two heavy oak bookcases, it seemed half obscured by shadows. Yet on the slight amount touched by the light creeping in through the room's solitary window, a hint of color could be seen.

Blue.

* * *

"... You want to go shopping?"

"Sure, we can't stay in these clothes forever. We need to change some point, besides wearing something so formal in a small town like this makes me stand out a lot." He turned and found a pair of amber eyes glaring furiously at him.

"If you think you can get me shopping, when four maids and two butlers couldn't you've got to be kidding yourself."

Athrun raised an eyebrow. Was that a challenge?

"I'm really not kidding though. We're much too conspicuous in these. And we don't' have a change of clothes..."

"No."

"... Am I allowed to just go shopping on my own?"

"No."

Sighing, Athrun turned around as if resigning to her stubbornness. Suddenly, he snatched a hefty pail of water and splashed it onto her. Cagalli stood there for a moment... dripping... While Athrun apologized to the owner of the pail for using the water inside. By the time he was done, she looked ready to rip out his intestines and strangle him with them.

"Oh dear, will you look at that!" He feigned mock surprise. "You're all wet! I guess we'd better go buy a change of clothes." Leaning forward, he lowered his voice and grinned. "Sorry but I couldn't think of anything else... besides, it's not that bad. You're not completely soaked."

Cagalli looked at him as if he'd grown antlers. "You're insane. Just great, out of all the people I could have run away with, I get the one who's mental..." She mumbled angrily. Nonetheless, as Athrun began to walk towards the clothing shop, she trudged along.

* * *

Kira felt his heart lighten slightly at the site of the Athha estate in the near distance. He and his father had decided to speed ahead on horseback, and though he was slightly hesitant about leaving Lacus in a carriage behind him, her parents, his mother as well as several other servants accompanied them.

In any case, the fact that his favorite cousin was missing worryed him more than anything, and he was eager to go and find out the details, then join in the search. Granted, they were really more very distant relatives, and the only two with some relation that were roughly the same age. But he was sure that even if the others were the same age as them, she'd still be his favorite.

And though he was somewhat "used" to these antics of hers, in which she would storm off when frustrated, angry, or irritated, usually a cursory ride through the grounds would reveal her to be throwing rocks into a pond, or something to that extent. In this case, a thorough combing of the entire area had failed to reveal anything, and her reason of departure sounded like enough to make her permanently stay away.

An arranged marriage was something that even he would feel uncomfortable taking. He probably would have been goaded into one if he hadn't found Lacus, but this was probably sprung on Cagalli like some sort of poorly planned surprise party. It's no wonder she bolted.

Finally reaching the front doors, he and his father were greeted by Uzumi himself, who looked all too happy to greet them.

"You'll be a very nice distraction from the hell that is my daughter's future in-laws." He explained with a wry smile. "We've decided to start searching the nearby towns. After all, they have to sleep somewhere..."

"They?" Kira was startled.

Uzumi paused "Yes... Both her and a servant that came with Westenfluss family are missing. However, they're probably together..."

"Together?" Another startled looked, with eyebrows raised high into his forehead. "She ran away with a servant she didn't know?"

"Believe me if I could understand it, I wouldn't have as much of a raging headache right now either. The only way to get this sorted out is to find them."

Lord Yamato stepped up for a moment. "You did say it was the Westenfluss family just now, correct?"

"Yes."

"So then her fiancé must be..."

Uzumi smiled. "Yes. Heine Westenfluss."

* * *

Meanwhile, the unlikely pair of roommates returned to their temporary abode, wearing cheaper clothes. Cagalli grumbled a lot about shopping, and how she was just wasting the little money she had on her. Athrun reminded her that all the money in the world would be of little use if someone found them, which was about a hundred times more likely in those clothes.

After a modest dinner, they had decided to sleep earlier, not really being in the mood to do much else, nor seeing anything interesting either. True to her word, Cagalli allowed Athrun to send a message to the manor, informing them of their safety. The messenger said he'd probably get it there by morning.

Athrun moved to take the spot on the floor that he had occupied last night, before pausing for a moment and cringing despite himself. It wasn't the most comfortable place in the world, but it was probably the most appropriate...

Suddenly, he felt a pillow hit him square in the chest. Looking up, he quirked an eyebrow in question.

"You've been struggling with your neck all day. I get the bed, so the least I can do is give you a pillow." Cagalli shrugged, laying herself down onto the bed.

"But-"

"No buts."

"It doesn't seem right for me-"

"I don't care."

"I don't need-"

"Sure you do. Now any more complaints or protests from you, I'll take it back!"

Athrun smiled in resignation and gratitude... What a girl. "You're sure then?"

"Positive... Now shush so I can get some sleep."

Athrun stared at the pillow for a moment. "Thank you, Ms. Athha."

Cagalli replied in a half asleep state. "Call...me... Cagalli..."

A few minutes later she was sound asleep.

Moving forward, Athrun pulled the thin blanket a little more snugly around her, wondering if it would really be enough. Perhaps he should offer his coat?

Picking up said article of clothing, he dusted it off briefly and spread it atop her sleeping figure.

"Sweet dreams... Cagalli."

* * *

**Next chapter of "To Pluck an Honest Rose." How will Uzumi react to Athrun's message and what will the search of nearby towns reveal?**

**Wow, I got a lot of guesses for Nicol, but nothing for Heine. I suppose given earlier descriptions, Nicol would make a lot of sense, but the problem is that Nicol's parents are wonderful, and just not enough fun to torture Uzumi with. Since we've never met Heine parents, I decided to make them those awful type of in-laws that everyone dreads. Heh... **

**As usual, thank you to all my wonderful reviewers:**

**'-'.Melodious.Noturne.'-', Ladymadchan, Life Is Death, Garowyn, meowmeowtheblackcat, 3fi-pina3, Cagalli Yula Athha Fangirl, Eternally Asuka, The Angels' Princess, jackie-88-ac, Kintora, tenshi, the light of hope, existence92, raikendai, XxbuffyxX, Princess Ashes, yumi'd'izka, asga, Ladu Onuk, animemistress419, Sunflower Seeds, kura52, PINKSISA, ovp, omi, Kandida, Tetsuni, Rayar, psychoanalyst, thousandbirds, ANONYMOUS-gsd, Siriuslyblacked, Childish Hentai, Cari-Akira, Swt. Harmony, X-19A Infinite Justice, Star-Moon-Angel, 45, gseedlover, Feminist1991, Kazumi Kairi or Kairi-chan, Kazumi Kairi or Kairi-chan, Kitty-Kat90013820, IYGU, The Jackle **

**Always a pleasure to hear your comments. **


	4. Adding Fuel to the Fire

**In terms of word count, this is a shorter chapter, but so much happens in it that I decided to leave it as is. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Uzumi woke up reluctantly. The arrival of his relatives had certainly made the mornings much more cheerful, but the worry over Cagalli seemed to increase with every passing moment. Sleep was hardly peaceful. Rather, it merely made him feel guilty that he had to sleep, instead of spend time trying to find her. 

But this morning, yes it was news! In a form much more direct than he though. It was from Cagalli herself.

A servant informed him that an anonymous messenger had arrived, delivered a message, then run off before they could realize that it was from Cagalli. Soon all guests and company were gathered in the sitting room in eager anticipation for what the letter revealed.

Lord Uzumi felt fairly uncomfortable, opening it in from of such an audience, especially seeing as how two certain members seemed particularly unfriendly and impatient.

Lord Yamato gave him a reassuring nod, and he opened the letter.

_"Dear Father,_

_I'm sorry to have given you news on such late notice, however it was quite some time before I had found the time to write you such a letter. In retrospect, it probably would have been more considerate to leave a letter in the first place, but in truth, I acted much out of impulse." _

Uzumi stopped a moment, struck by the formal tone of the letter. It was a bit different form what he was expecting. A chuckle from the other side of the room distracted him. Heine seemed to be somewhat amused... Of course. She wasn't alone. "Athrun" must have had a hand in writing this.

_"I am currently lodged at a small inn, nestled within what I have gathered to be a relatively close town. A cursory combing of nearby resident localities would probably reveal my location, however I must ask that you refrain from doing so._

_Firstly, I assure you that I am not being held against my will. Secondly, I insist that I am in the utmost health, both mental and physical. However, I cannot bring myself to return without the time to adjust to the fact that I am now engaged. I have enough money to cover living expenses for roughly a week or two, after which I will promptly return. _

_In the meantime, I request that you do not try to search for me, and simply leave me in peace to think. I will send another message at some point, and should I not return in two weeks time, feel free to come and search for me then."_

Alright, now Lord Uzumi was positive that someone else had helped write this. There was no way that Cagalli would willing allow him to send out search teams for her, even after two weeks. In his mind, he could clearly conjure up the image of Cagalli stubbornly protesting "If I don't want to come back yet, I'm not going to! And there's nothing you can do about it!"

_"Once again, I apologize. Until my next message, _

_Cagalli."_

The girl's father finally sat down, after pacing the room while reading the letter aloud. "Well then."

The elder Westenfluss seemed furious. "Does- does she think that such a childish letter can possibly redeem all the trouble... Surely we will begin to search all towns now."

Lord Yamato sat up very straight in protest. "I see no reason why we should! She's made it clear that she does not wish to be found."

"That's not what's important right now! Did it not occur to you that this letter may be forged?"

"I assure you that I can recognize my own daughter's handwriting and signature, Lord Westenfluss." Uzumi replied wearily. "If she needs time to think-"

"I will allow no such thing!" Westenfluss' face now resembled a ripe eggplant, and his son was standing by uneasily, staring out the window with a rather embarrassed look. Kira shifted slightly, apparently making a fierce effort to refrain from lunging at the older man's collar and forcing reason into him.

The room was tense for a moment. Lady Westenfluss seemed rather annoyed at the situation, her husband was still seething, Lady Clyne and Yamato both seemed worried, and Lacus Clyne observed the scene silently. Finally Lord Westenfluss stormed out of the room, apparently furious.

There was silence for a moment as his wife slowly stood up to follow him out, and motioned for her son to follow. Heine slowly began to make his way out, pausing for a moment to turn and bow slightly, as if apologizing for his parents' behavior.

More silence after the exit of three people, until Kira bitterly remarked,

"I hope that man doesn't go and do something stupid now."

"Knowing him, allowing Cagalli personal time is the last thing he'll do." Uzumi sighed, reaching for the untouched cucumber sandwiches in the middle of the table.

"Well he can't search for her without your permission, can he?" Lord Clyne pointed out. Uzumi nodded.

"So then what's the worst he could do?"

* * *

Athurn woke up, his neck feeling much relieved, however the rest of him aching like he hadn't moved in months. The pillow certainly did help relieve the discomfort on his neck, however the comfort his head experienced only served to remind the rest of his body how cold and stiff the floor was.

But there was absolutely no way he'd let the rest of his body experience a true bed, seeing as how there was only one bed, and someone else was already in it.

Lord Uzumi probably had the message by now, which meant it was peaceful living for a week or two, then a carefree ride back to the Athha manor. Granted, what awaited him wasn't so pleasant, but at least Cagalli would be okay.

Crap. There he goes again, calling Miss Athha by her first name. He'd let it slip out last night, but he probably should stop... if he continued after they had returned to the manor it would be trouble.

Stretching a bit, he strolled down the stairs and proceeded outside for some fresh air, and perhaps some food. He had enough to buy some bread at the very least, and proceeded down the main road of the town.

He continued on his way for a bit, growing increasingly aware of the stares that he was getting. Could it be that they'd figured out who Cag... er... Miss Athha was? But it would be no matter, as Lord Uzumi wouldn't send for them anyways.

Reaching the nearest bakery, he took one look at it and froze.

Suddenly, it didn't seem that the next two weeks would be so carefree after all.

* * *

Kira broke into the sitting room furiously, sometime later in the afternoon, a sheet of paper clutched in his hand.

"WANTED POSTERS!"

Lady Yamato and Lacus turned their gazes curiously. Lady Clyne was in another room with Lady Westenfluss, as if was Lady Clyne's turn to have to put up with her. The three women had devised a system of taking turns in having to suffer the woman's presence.

Lord Uzumi, Clyne, and Yamato looked up sharply. Heine looked confused, yet mortified. His Father looked proud.

"You ordered for the arrest of 'Athrun', in a state of Living or Death?" Kira continued, slamming the paper onto the table.

"Yes. Naturally there's no picture, but blue hair isn't very easy to come by, so I think that will be enough. These posters for his arrest have been distributed to all the neighboring towns. We should have news shortly-"

Uzumi looked thunderous. "I explicitly asked you to cease the search."

Westenfluss looked up slyly. "Well I'm not searching for your daughter. I'm searching for my servant."

"Dead or Alive?" Heine choked out, apparently disgusted. Athrun... was a wanted man now. He might be hurt. He might be-

"Well.. I doubt they'll actually kill him. I just added that for a sense of urgency."

"You couldn't just leave them in peace for a while?" Lacus asked calmly, apparently the only one capable of speaking at the moment, in calm speech devoid of profanity.

"Of course not. That sort of unreasonable-"

"With all due respect, her request for peace has been the most reasonable request I have heard ever since your arrival." Uzumi interrupted sharply.

Lord Clyne and Yamato stood up suddenly. Westenfluss eyed them briefly. "What are you going to do?"

"See if we can stop this."

Heine rose to follow them. Lacus rose as well, taking Kira by the arm and steering him out before he exploded in anger. Her presence seemed to calm him slightly, and his hands which had been tightly balled up in fists seemed to unclench slightly. Soon everyone had filed out to deal with their own angry feelings, leaving Westenfluss alone.

He frowned, uttering to himself for a moment.

"That boy's been nothing but trouble from the moment he showed up at our door."

* * *

Cagalli looked horrified at the piece of paper Athrun had ripped off the side of the bakery and showed her.

"Athrun! What did you do? I didn't know you had a criminal record!"

"I DON'T!" The poor boy protested, his head in his hands. "I.. just don't understand how this happened. How did it come to this? I guess they didn't buy the message... Or, they just. Oh lord, I don't know. I never thought they'd do this. I thought my Lord would want to save face more than anything, and would want to keep this whole thing under wraps. Instead he makes a public announcement and asks people to come and kill me!"

"But... this is very serious! You can't just say you want someone's face on a wanted poster and have it done! Are you sure you didn't kill someone by accident or-"

"Don't go any further with that thought! They probably said I kidnapped you or something... In any case, we have to get out of here. The landlord might turn me in and personally, I like my head where it is, thanks." Crumpling the poster and throwing it against a wall in bitter frustration.

"I've already spent most of the money on the room though. And I don't think that it's refundable..." Cagalli considered carefully. Athrun was silent for a moment.

"Well then there's nothing we can do about it. We can't stay here..."

"Hold it RIGHT THERE! I don't see any wanted posters for me!"

Athrun looked up in exhaustion. "So then you'll leave me to get killed while you go off vacationing for a week? Thanks for your concern. Really." He pronounced in bitter sarcasm. "Honestly, I first thought of just letting you go ahead too, but like I said before I don't want to take the risk of having you on your own.

And in any case, this means the search hasn't stopped so you'd be pretty easy to find anyways."

The words seemed to sink into Cagalli, when a teasing grin spread across her face. "Won't I be in a lot more danger if I wander around with a wanted criminal?"

Athrun's eyebrow visibly twitched. "For the last time... I'M NOT A CRIMINAL!"

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation.

"Uh, sir? Sorry to disturb you two, but there's a small matter I'd like to discuss regarding your boarding here..." A nervous voice came from behind the door.

Both people present in the room froze and looked at each other. Immediately they began to exchange frantic silent messages.

Cagalli motioned towards the window with her head.

Athrun looked like he was about to faint, and shook his head in violent protest.

Cagalli gave him a inquisitive look. What else did he have in mind?

Athrun's eyes darted around the room. Nothing came to mind...

Cagalli grabbed a bed sheet, about to make it into another rope.

Athrun grabbed it out of her hands and shook his head again. What was with this girl and climbing out windows? He pointed towards her, then the door.

She gave him a weird look, then went to open it. He took a hold of her wrist and shook his head again. He opened his mouth, and pointed towards the door again.

Okay... now she was really confused. Was he hungry?... He couldn't be planning to eat the door... the landlord? Attack him? No, that would really be criminal!

Another knock.

"Hello? Is anyone there?... I'm certain I heard voices"

"Just a moment!" Cagalli snapped impatiently. She clamped a hand over her mouth as soon as the words came out. Crap!

Athrun on the other hand, looked relieved. He motioned for her to keep talking.

"Miss? Are you the only one present in the room?"

The other person in the room gave her a thumbs up.

"Uh... Yes. Yes I am."

"I see... When do you think your companion will return?"

"I-I'm not sure. He went out to buy some food."

"I see... Well then when he returns, would you mind coming down for a bit. There are some matter I'd like to discuss with him."

"Of course." Cagalli replied, her tone significantly more steady.

Hearing footsteps fade down the hallway, Athrun let out the breath that he had been holding. He looked at her and grinned. "Well that was easier than I thought it would be. No window escapes required. Now we'll wait until everyone's asleep and sneak out of here."

* * *

"What do you mean, we can't call off the search and wanted posters?" Lord Clyne asked impatiently. "He made a mistake! We don't want to find that boy at all, much less dead!"

"I'm sorry sir, but the only one that can call of a search that hs been posted within reason, in this case being the fact that he kidnapped someone, is the person who filed the request for a search himself." The clerk at the bureau said, evidently feeling very pressured by the sight of Lord Clyne, Lord Yamato, Kira and Heine and bearing down on him mercilessly.

"But the person he said was kidnapped, wasn't kidnapped!" Kira looked livid. Lacus had calmed him down previously, but upon hearing that his father would be going with the others to try to call off the search, he jumped to go with them.

"We can't just take anyone's word for that, sir. Unless the person said to be kidnapped is found." The clerk stammered, evidently frightened of Kira.

"What about me? I'm his son, can't I call it off?" Heine suggested, trying to do everything possible to help the situation.

"No sir, it has to be the person himself. I'm sorry sir, but these are the rules. We can't bend them for anything. Even if they're not helping you, they've assured the safe return of people and capture of criminals for quite some time."

"But he's not a criminal!" The four men shouted at once.

The clerk ducked behind the desk, quivering. "I can't do anything!"

Kira sighed, and took a step back, snapping to his sense.

"Then's there's nothing that we can do."

"So now what? We just let them get hunted down?" Heine frowned.

"Of course not. I'm going to search for them. I wish I could give her a week or two, but right now it'd be safer for her to come back. Maybe then we can resolve this, and arrange for something." Kira shrugged.

"I'd like to arrange for a certain idiot to get clubbed over the head something blunt" Lord Yamato muttered under his breath. "Ah... sorry Heine. No offense to you, of course."

"None taken" He smiled.

"Tell everyone that I won't be back until later tonight." Kira said, turning to leave.

"I'm coming with you. The best thing we can do is get to them before anyone else does." The tangerine hair lad followed.

Kira nodded and headed out, Heine close behind. Chuckling for a moment, he sighed, picturing a certain blond clocking him on the head shouting, "Why couldn't you just leave me alone for a week?"

"Cagalli's going to kill me when I find her..."

* * *

**Next chapter, Athrun and Cagalli try to sneak out. How well will that go? And what about Kira and Heine's search for them?**

**Much thanks goes out to all of my reviewers, **

**FMAobsessed, AnimeCrazyLovingRoyalty, Spaleween, cocoapuffaddict, Life Is Death, The Jackle, CagalliandAthrungirlforever, IYGU, asucags, thousandbirds, Rayar, daisukiasu'n'caga, cottongreentea, PINKSISA, Shadow-Naka, Kintora, gseedlover, ovp, Tetsuni, IX The Melodious Nocturne IX, ANONYMOUS-gsd, meowmeowtheblackcat, yumi'd'izka, stuntsheep, Xx.Eternal Rain.xX, Siriuslyblacked, 3fi-pina3, Kitty-Kat90013820, Garowyn, Cari-Akira, ChildO'God, Cagalli Yula Atha**

**Hope to hear from you again!**

**Until next chapter,**

**Periodic-Prose**


End file.
